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CBC
5 days ago
- General
- CBC
How accessible are the NCC's trails, really? Now there's an app for that
Social Sharing For people with disabilities, finding a trail that's sufficiently accessible can be a challenge. A new web application from the National Capital Commission (NCC) aims to change that. The idea was the brainchild of the Canadian Disabled Outdoor Society, co-founded by Chelsea Ogilvie and Brie Birdsell. They approached the NCC and then partnered with the agency to develop the Inclusive Trails app. In developing the app, Ogilvie said they wanted to see the reality on the ground for themselves. "We actually went out and did some ground-truthing," she explained, referring to the process of verifying information in person. "We went with mobility devices ... to see how easily we could access those trails." We're trying to get rid of that guesswork and just make it so that folks can confidently go out and know exactly what they're getting into. The Inclusive Trails app tells people how steep and wide a trail is, or if there are any surface hazards such as steps or tree roots that might pose a problem. "It'll tell you the grade, and so you can decide for yourself is this is a manageable slope for you," said Ogilvie, who uses a wheelchair. "We really want to increase the amount of information that's available so folks with disabilities can confidently plan their outings." The app also describes what services are available at the trailhead, such as accessible toilets and parking, as well as any other points of interest such as benches, picnic tables and boardwalks. Ogilvie said she has experienced first-hand the disappointment of arriving at a trail only to find barriers. "That's really what fuelled this project with the NCC," she said. "There are so many times I looked on a … website that said a trail was mostly flat, or even trails that were marked as wheelchair-friendly. I would get there and there would be a six-inch bump up onto a boardwalk, or a bunch of roots and rocks right off the start." WATCH | How the app works: Here's how to use the new NCC tool for accessible hiking trails 4 minutes ago The Inclusive Trails app tells people how steep and wide a trail is, or if there are any surface hazards such as steps or tree roots that might pose a problem. Impediments can be a 'deal-breaker' Those are the kinds of unexpected impediments that can ruin an outing, Oglivie said. "That can be a complete deal-breaker for me," she said. "We're trying to get rid of that guesswork and just make it so that folks can confidently go out and know exactly what they're getting into." The trails chosen for the first iteration of the app are considered low-barrier, Ogilvie said. "Because for a lot of people with disabilities, that's enough. Depending on their equipment, their support, their fitness level, their strength, they can access a whole lot of terrain that falls outside of that universal accessibility." Sometimes, those barriers aren't so obvious. For example, Ogilvie points out that some inclines are barely noticeable on foot. "But if you're trying to move yourself with your arms in a wheelchair, or if you have a walker or balance issues, you're very attuned to even the slightest inclines," she said. The app also provides photographs and 360-degree videos of the trails "so you can really explore that obstacle from every direction and decide if it's something you can and want to tackle," said Ogilvie. Six trails totalling 12 kilometres have been mapped using the new app, including paths in Gatineau Park and Ottawa's Greenbelt. More will be added. For Ogilvie, it's about inclusivity as much as it is about accessibility.
CTV News
18-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Spill at Leamy Lake Beach in Gatineau, Que. ‘under control': NCC
A sign informs swimmers that swimming is prohibited at Leamy Lake Beach in Gatineau, Que. following a spill earlier this week. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa) You can now go canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding at Leamy Lake Park Beach, but swimming is still prohibited following a substance spill in the lake in Gatineau, Que. The National Capital Commission closed Leamy Lake Park Beach on Tuesday due to a hydrocarbon spill in the water. Mitigation measures were put in place to limit the spill, including a boom barrier that absorbs the product. Late Thursday afternoon, the NCC said the spill is 'now under control' and the product has been absorbed. Leamy Lake The National Capital Commission says a spill in the water at Leamy Lake Park Beach is 'now under control.' Water activities are allowed to resume, but swimming remains prohibited. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa) Water activities are allowed to resume in Leamy Lake, but swimming remains prohibited due to poor water quality. 'In collaboration with our local and provincial partners, we investigated the source of the hydrocarbon spill in Leamy Lake,' the NCC said. 'Nothing observed on site allows the source of the product found on the surface of the water to be clearly identified. Investigators believe, however, that the quantity of the substance, which was minimal, does not pose a danger to human health.' The swimming ban remains in effect due to the latest water quality test results at Leamy Lake Beach, according to the NCC. 'The laboratory will conduct new samples daily until the swimming water reaches a rating of A, B, or C after which the beach will reopen,' the NCC said. A hydrocarbon spill typically refers to oil or petroleum products, such as gasoline or diesel fuel, spilling into the water. With files from CTV News Ottawa's Ted Raymond
CBC
18-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Lac Leamy deemed safe after mystery spill, NCC says
Social Sharing The National Capital Commission (NCC) says Lac Leamy is safe after a mysterious and unspecified hydrocarbon spill earlier this week, but high E. Coli counts are keeping the beach closed for swimming Friday. On Tuesday, the NCC closed the Gatineau, Que., beach for swimming and recommended against other uses while it investigated and contained what the province called a "hydrocarbon sheen" on the water. Hydrocarbons can include fuels such as gasoline, although motorized boats aren't permitted on Lac Leamy. In a news release Thursday, the NCC said the substance has now been absorbed and investigators believe the spill was not dangerous to humans. "Nothing observed on site allows the source of the product found on the surface of the water to be clearly identified," the commission said. However, regular water quality testing has shown high E. Coli levels, so swimming at Lac Leamy is still prohibited until further notice.
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Federal government directs National Gallery, Crown corporations to develop savings plans
The National Capital Commission, the National Gallery of Canada and other federally funded institutions are being directed to developing savings plans, as part of the Liberal government's quest to find $25 billion in savings over the next three years. Last week, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali issued letters to cabinet, directing ministers to identify savings of up to 15 per cent in all federal departments. The government says while statutory transfer payments to provinces, territories and individuals will be maintained, 'most other government spending will be included in the review.' The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat confirmed to CTV News Ottawa on Thursday that Crown corporations are 'subject to this exercise' for finding savings. 'Individual organizations are responsible for developing proposals for how best to meet their savings targets. No decisions on any savings proposals have been taken yet,' the decision said. The National Capital Commission, which oversees federal lands and is the principal steward of nationally significant public places, confirms to CTV News it falls under the federal government's comprehensive expenditure review. 'As the saving proposals haven't yet been developed, it is too early to offer any prediction on the potential impact on NCC programs and services,' the NCC said. Crown corporations include the CBC, Bank of Canada, Export Development Canada and federal museums. The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa says it has been asked to develop proposals to identify potential savings of 15 per cent over the next three years. 'Over the coming weeks, the Gallery will work with government to identify areas for potential savings with the goal of limiting their impacts on our operations and mandate,' a spokesperson for the National Gallery said. The Parole Board of Canada says it has been asked to bring forward savings proposals. 'The PBC is currently in the process of developing its savings proposals, in line with the government's directive, and is committed to doing so in a way that preserves the delivery of the Board's core mandated programs and operations,' a spokesperson for the Parole Board of Canada said in a statement. 'Approved savings amounts will be presented in the Government's 2026-27 Main Estimates.' Federally appointed organizations are also required to find budget savings, but several departments have been exempted, including agents of Parliament, Courts Administration Service, and the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada. A lower savings target of two per cent has been set for the Department of National Defence, the Canada Border Services Agency, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. With files from CTV News Stephanie Ha and CTV News Ottawa's Dylan Dyson
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
City of Gatineau loses court battle over property taxes for Gatineau Park
Part of Gatineau Park is in the City of Gatineau. The City of Gatineau. Que. has lost its court battle against the National Capital Commission over property taxes for Gatineau Park. A federal court judge dismissed an application for judicial review filed by the City of Gatineau over the payments in lieu of taxes from the NCC for the period of 2006 to 2020. The NCC set the payment in lieu of taxes at $166,369. The dispute involves the payment in lieu of taxes paid by the NCC for Gatineau Park land located in the City of Gatineau. Under the National Capital Act, the NCC 'may pay to local municipalities grants not exceeding the amount of taxes that could be collected by them on its real property.' The City of Gatineau was seeking a judicial review of the NCC's decision on the payment, saying the proposed payment in lieu of taxes 'were not reasonable' and didn't follow a recommendation from an advisory committee In a judgment issued last Friday, Judge Yvan Roy called the city's case a 'frontal attack' on the National Capital Commission, adding the NCC can determine the payments in lieu of taxes and is under no obligation to follow the recommendations from a federal advisory committee. Justice Roy notes the Federal Court of Appeal had already ruled to uphold an earlier Federal Court ruling on the municipality of Chelsea, Que's dispute with the NCC over unpaid taxes for Gatineau Park. The municipality said it was shortchanged more than $900,000 a year in property taxes from the NCC. In February, the City of Ottawa lost its multi-million-dollar court battle with the federal government over payments in lieu of taxes on federal buildings. Federal Court Justice Panagiotis Pamel dismissed the city's legal challenge that Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and Canada Post shortchanged the city $22 million in 2021 and 2022 on federal payments for tax-exempt buildings. The case surrounded a reduction in the Business Education Tax (BET) rate on property taxes by the Ontario government during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The BET rate reduction was intended to provide relief to businesses and was not meant to apply to the payments in lieu of taxes paid by governments.
